


Read for Me

by gaensebluemchen



Category: Inkheart (2008), Tintenwelt-Trilogie | Inkheart Trilogy - Cornelia Funke
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/M, no really the romance is more like ambient noise, this is meant to be shippy but if you don't have shipping goggles on you could read it as platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:28:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29612205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaensebluemchen/pseuds/gaensebluemchen
Summary: Five times Elinor asked Darius to read something out loud, and one time he asked her to read for him.
Relationships: Elinor Loredan/Darius (Inkheart)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	Read for Me

They were alone in Elinor's gigantic library when she asked him for the first time. Darius had not been surprised. Elinor was fascinated with the silvertongue-gift, and since both Mortimer and Meggie refused to read aloud again...

He looked at the beautifully illustrated book she was holding, and shook his head. She had asked him in a surprisingly kind manner, but no. He would never read aloud again. The gift had brought him too much pain; it was too dangerous.

Elinor's smile faded, but she put the book away and asked him where he wanted to put the new Dickens. 

* * *

It happened again after an auction. It was late, and they shared a hotel room so that they would not have to drive home after a day that was already exhausting enough. They were still sitting together for a while, admiring their newest acquisitions, talking and laughing, enjoying each other's company.

Elinor held a book in her hands, looked at the cover and then looked up at Darius, and he raised an eyebrow before she even started speaking.

"You're sure you don't want to try?"

He nodded, and Elinor sighed, reached over and gently squeezed his hand.

Darius smiled softly. 

* * *

They were reading in the living room when Elinor asked again, a volume with poetry in her hands. Darius knew the book, it contained some incredibly beautiful poems, descriptions of peaceful landscapes and the ephemeral elegance of fresh flowers.

“Elinor, you know I won't read aloud again.”

“I just thought – there's nothing bad that could come out of this book...”

“No, I... just can't bring myself to do this. It's - no.” 

He slowly shook his head. 

Elinor thought about it for a moment.

“I see...” she said, “Never mind, it was just a silly idea. I'm sorry.”

“It's all right.” 

* * *

They were on the way to another auction, Elinor firmly gripping the steering wheel, looking straight ahead as if the road had offended her. Darius knew that she was bored. She hated long rides in the car, but there was this interesting book at an auction in Genoa, so...

"If you stay this quiet, I'll fall asleep, and we'll crash and die."

Darius just shook his head in amusement.

"You know," Elinor said, looking at him from the corner of her eye, "You could read something for me..."

He laughed, and instead told her a story he knew by heart. 

* * *

It was winter, and Elinor had caught a cold. She was sitting in her bed, wrapped in blankets. Darius manoeuvred around a stack of books and placed a new cup of tea on her bedside table. Elinor smiled thankfully, and then she reached out for him, a thin book in her hand. She cocked her head, and tried her best to make puppy-eyes at him.

"Elinor, no," he said softly.

She blinked at him.

Darius smiled at her, but did not give in. Elinor let out a silent sigh.

He knew she wanted to say, "It was worth a try." 

* * *

The book was beautiful, a delightful anthology of romantic short stories. Just looking at the pictures inside made Darius smile, but he actually had something even better in mind. Elinor was sitting across the table from him, idly leafing through a catalogue.

He held out the book to her.

Elinor cocked her head.

"I would like you to read for me, please," he said quietly.

Elinor took the book, but hesitated.

"Why?"

"I like listening to your voice. I – When I can hear you, it just makes me feel safe."

Elinor smiled at him, her eyes sparkling, and began reading. 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything, I'm just playing around with my favourite characters for fun. 
> 
> I feel like Elinor can be a bit pushy sometimes, but she doesn't really mean it, idk. 
> 
> These are drabbles, but I had to make some tweaks to hit the wordcount on Ao3, so this is actually a few words longer than the version in my document ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ I really did not feel like counting these myself...


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